Beethoven's Sixth, aka The Pastoral. Carlo Maria Giulini doesn't get much love as a Beethoven conductor, but that is a big mistake IMO because he has made some excellent recordings. Like Beethoven's Sixth recorded in 1980 analog sound in Los Angeles. On brand for CMG, the tempo is slowish, but with plenty of movement and danceability. And the LA winds and low strings sound fabulous, which is just what you want in the piece.

 

16/44 FLAC download

Isaac Albéniz is well known for his  España, and much less well known for his  Suite española. Which is too bad because it is full of the same Spanish infused melody, harmony and rhythm.



Martin Jones has recorded just about everything, and pretty well.

Nicholas Harnoncourt got his start making some of the most ridiculous sounding recordings ever committed to magnetic tape early in the "historically informed performance" movement. YMMV. But at some point he grew up and it turns out he is actually an interesting and talented musician when he started making "historically informed" recordings of the classical at romantic repertoire with modern symphony orchestras. One of the first was his Schubert Symphony cycle with the  Royal Concertgebouw, and it is excellent.



On CD

Classical music has been recorded for about 100 years, so it is pretty hard to call any recording of something as popular as Haydn's Nelson Mass "definitive" just because there are so many of them worth hearing. But Leonard Bernstein's New York recording is so good you can make a case that it is in fact definitive.



On CD

I'd say the same thing about pretty much everything in the Sony/CBS/Columbia box.

Eliahu Inbal's Mahler cycle with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony on Denon was the "audiophile" Mahler cycle during the go-go 80s when it seemed like everyone was recording Mahler. It was reissued for cheap by Brilliant Classics years ago but it still sounds great.



On CD.

The First Symphony is both and audio and orchestra demonstration disc.

More Michael Gielen, this time Beethoven. His turn of the century recordings are with a modern symphony orchestra, but with a "historically informed" interpretation. Which usually means "fast" and these performances are certainly quick. But they are also intensely rhythmical, in a way I've never heard before. I was listening to The Eroica, which is not a favorite, and the finale gave me goosebumps. That has never happened before.



16/44 FLAC download

Istvan Kertesz's performance of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle is 60 years old, but it is hard to justify another recording because this one is just about perfect. Between Walter Berry, Christa Ludwig and the Decca engineers everything just works. Magnificently. And the opera itself would be an excellent entry in the "modern music for people who don't think they like modern music" sweepstakes, even though it is well over a hundred years old.



16/44 FLAC download

First classical listen in a while and I went with Mozart's Piano Concertos 16 and 19. Uchida and Tate add the perfect dash of romantic drama to Mozart's classical elegance.



On CD.

You talked me into it, I'll give it a shot.

I'm very interested in what you guys think. Most (classical) listeners have strong opinions about Bruckner, one way or the other. The 4th is probably his most popular piece, and it has a pretty good hook so I'm hoping you appreciate it.

Funny footy story. I'm not a big fan but I have warmed up to it some in my old age. So when a buddy had a spare 4th row ticket to Curaçao v. Côte d'Ivoire in Philadelphia I flew out. The match itself was nothing special but man, what an atmosphere! I've been to World Series and Rose Bowls and other assorted big games, but this was unique. Unfortunately I was only there for like 30 hours otherwise I would have tried to get together with some of the east coast Decware crew.

I had the house to myself this morning so I gave the Pittsburg/Honeck/Reference Bruckner 4 another listen at full volume. And I stand by my first impression: it is spectacular in every way. But if you listen to it loud enough to actually hear the strings under the horn's opening prayer it is going to get LOUD when the brass lean into the big climaxes. Thank you Decware, and Omega.

For a different fourth I give you Otto Klemperer's classic Brahms 4th with the Philharmonia Orchestra, in excellent early stereo.



DSD rip from Warner/Japan SACD

A very different take on Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht from von Karajan's lushly romantic recording on DG. The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra lead by Iona Brown are much more modern, or perhaps classical, and certainly very interesting.



16/44 FLAC download

More modern choral music, this time with a moody Nordic vibe.



16/44 FLAC download

Enjoying Anne Queffélec's Liszt from her complete Erato recordings. She is great on the virtuoso stuff like the Mephisto Valse, but even better on the molten Rêve D'Amour, which is simply beautiful.



16/44 FLAC download

I don't know if there is an exact opposite to the religious solemnity of Bach's organ music, but the quicksilver wit of Mendelsohn's Italian Symphony might be it. Esp. as performed by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra.



DSD rip from Sony Japan SACD

It never rains here in July, except for today. So instead of a big bike ride I listened to Angela Hewitt play Scarlatti. It doesn't improve my VO2 max, but is a great way to spend a rainy day.



16/44 FLAC download

I can think of no reason why Handel's Oboe Concertos should be any less well known than e.g. Bach's Violin Concertos, but they are mostly unknown. They are fabulous Baroque music and this Naxos recording is excellent in every way.



On CD.

One reviewer sums up Giuseppe Sinopoli with one word: decadent. And for a one word summation that is pretty good for the late romantic works that were the heart of his repertoire. His dark, brooding Schubert Unfinished from early in his career might not be the definition of decadent, but it is certainly pointed in that direction.  



On CD

Great acquisition given to me by my nephew that was left behind from a home sale.  A well preserved Pavarotti album from London with the label indicating the FFRR in the spiral.  What a great sounding vinyl album.

More late Schubert genius. The Great C Major symphony, Nicholas Harnoncourt and the  Royal Concertgebouw.



On CD from the complete symphonies box.

The greatest chamber work ever written? A lot of people would say the Schubert Quintet. And it is a remarkable piece, as well as likely the last music he composed before his untimely death.



16/44 FLAC download

The Orpheus Quartet really lean into the transcendent opening movements, then hit the gas for the last two.

The greatest chamber work ever written? Another choice besides the Schubert Quintet is Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. It features perhaps the most beautiful slow movement ever written.



DSD rip from SACD

I actually played this piece myself back in the day, but Martin Fröst plays it way better.

Probably my favorite too Lon.

And now for something entirely different. Schubert's Winterreise is the ultimate, unblinking look into the abyss. Think King Lear in song. But like Shakespeare's play the song cycle is a great catharsis when done well. Whether Sir Peter Pears and his longtime partner Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh, do it well or not is a little controversial. They certainly do it dramatically, and I think unforgettably.



16/44 FLAC download

I don't have HBO but I would totally check that out. Even though I'm much more interested in the art of artists, rather than the life of artists, a bunch of other composers would make great movies, with great soundtracks. Beethoven, the tortured genius. Schubert, young genius blooming in the shadow of syphilis. Wagner, juxtaposition of giant genius, ego and (let's call it) human frailty. Tchaikovsky, haunted by his sexuality. And Liszt, the original rock star takes holy orders. That's just off the top of my head.

As for Wolfie, I've been enjoying the Juilliard's classic 1960s recordings of the string quartets.



16/44 FLAC download

There are lots of ways to play this music but these recordings literally moved the goal posts.